Sunday, June 2, 2013

Visiting artists in Tatebayashi

One of the most wonderful parts of the cultural exchange is the opportunity to visit artists in their studios and look at and discuss their work. We are helped enormously by the Council staff in Tatebayashi and the International Association there, who help organise things and arrange for interpreters, many of whom we know from a previous visit and who give their time so willingly. And by Christine who does most of the negotiation from over here.

Our first visit was to Kameyama-san, a remarkable printmaker.

Detail of one of his etching plates and the tool he uses to make the multiple tiny marks.


Examples of some of his etchings...



Fiona, Christine, Noela and Merv poring over the prints...thanks to photographer Barry.


Our afternoon visit was to Shimokawa-san, an environmental artist who has spent the past few years documenting and chronicling the environment along the Watarese River and creating art from his observations and experiences.

A piece made from cigarette lighters found along the river banks and in other parts.


The elegant simplicity of found driftwood pieces in a wooden crate.


Rows and rows of items found along the river, in jars.


A room filled with found bottles...


On Thursday morning, Barry and I visited Haryu-san a master copper artist. This was a most wonderful visit, with experiences, knowledge and a passion for metal shared. We were humbled to meet with him and see how much he has done, how skilled he is and how generously he shared his knowledge. Thanks too to Hiro for all his translation assistance!

A Confucian balancing piece - the bowl is unbalanced without water, unbalanced when there is too much water, but beautifully balanced when there is just enough.


Some of Haryu-san's stakes and hammers. Barry was in hammer-stake heaven!


Two metalworkers sharing time together.


One of Haryu-san's bowls and one of Barry's sitting next to each other - very simpatico.


It takes some time for it all to sink in...how honoured and fortunate we are to meet these people, share their spaces, see their work, learn about it. Art and creativity is a great way to meet in the middle, across cultures and across language barriers. Somehow the work speaks and we respond and the message is understood, without a single word of shared language being necessary.

19 comments:

  1. A cultural exchange..... What a wonderful opportunity.... and such a great idea! Thanks so much for sharing your experience Fiona.

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  2. Thanks Robyn - it was a great trip for sure.

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  3. i look at barry and haryu-san's hands in that photo and that speaks volumes. they are talking with them, the language of makers. thank fiona.

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  4. i wrote a comment, it seems to have disappeared, so i'll re-do:
    fiona, thanks for this, for the wonderful photo of barry and haryu-san, whose hands (how wonderful) speak eloquently of their conversation.

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    1. I'm glad the comments made it thru Velma! Those hands...they are speaking and sharing thoughts and ways aren't they? It's lovely that you saw them that way.

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  5. and i love the print of the nut in the third photo!

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  6. Sounds like you had a great trip! Love some of these shots - the hammers, the lighters, the room full of bottles. Thanks.

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    1. An interesting and wonderful trip for sure Annie -so many fabulous things to see. Those bottles!

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  7. Wonderful... love seeing Barry's bowl with Haryu-san's, beautiful. So inspiring to share across cultures, I miss this.

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    1. Those bowls look so good together don't they? Sharing in this way, side by side, artist to artist is very special indeed. We are fortunate.

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  8. A wonderful way to enrich your lives.

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    1. So true Jo! It was enriching every day, in so many different ways. Generosity, kindness, skill, talent...so much of it all.

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  9. Such an amazing trip, Fiona, and so generously shared by you both. The etchings are wonderful, the room of bottles stunning, but all those tools left me breathless. Thank you for the chance to see that.

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    1. We are so fortunate Carol - to have made connections with folk who set these exchanges up and being invited along; and then to learn and see and share so much. It was very very special. There are more tool photos of course -we were both kind of jaw-dropped in awe and amazement. You would LOVE a Japanese hardware store - we went a little crazy!

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  10. It's all so wonderful to read about and absorb but, Oh, Fiona those etchings! Be still my beating heart. I would have loved to have seen these. How indescribably beautfiul.

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    1. Lesley - so true. My breath just left my body as I gazed and awed at them (not a verb but it should be in this instance). The gentle tones, the multiple small plates, the finest of etchings and the sublime mark-making. Oh my, what a treasure of a visit.

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  11. I love how shared creativity transcends language. Appreciation without conversation. Marvellous. Am completely envious of your visit to Kameyama-san - will enjoy hearing you speak about his techniques. I wonder if he teaches .... A fantastic trip for you both. I am certain you gave of yourselves as much as you received - in fact, probably a lot more!

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    1. Susan, I just kept thinking how much you would have loved his studio and his work! Not only the perfection of the botanical etchings, but the mark-making as well. We had a marvellous time - filled to the brim with wonderful experiences...

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I appreciate your thoughts and comments; thanks for taking the time.